Page 14 of Charmed By Destiny

“I appreciate it.”

“So, Gabe mentioned that your mother’s name is Rosalind. Is that who is coming this morning and why you rearranged your schedule?” Lucas asked.

Richard nodded. “Yes, my brother Eric and Gabriel are getting married. For reasons I can’t understand, my brother and his fiancé have zero interest in fabrics, china, or anything resembling design or style. If we left it up to them, they’d probably pick things at random and create something eye-searing they’d have to look at forever in the ten million pictures my parents will insist are taken. So, my mother and I are going to narrow down a few choices to make life easier for them and ensure they have a fabulous wedding without either of them getting stressed out. Plus, I think it’s fun choosing those things.”

Lucas flashed his grin, and Richard ignored the way his pulse picked up. “Yeah, I can tell from your outfit that you can appreciate when something is well coordinated.”

Richard glanced at himself reflexively. “My outfit?”

“Yes, at first glimpse it’s an outfit in all black, which it is,” Lucas remarked. “But if you pay attention, there is a tonal black dot on your shoes that matches a similar pattern on the cuffs of your sleeves. The belt looks like a contrast with the floral pattern, but there are tonal dots on that too.”

With a startled blink, Richard wasn’t sure whether to go with shock that Lucas had noticed such small details or to revel in the amount of attention the inspirit had given to his ensemble in the few minutes since he’d walked into the office. Instead of standing there like a dolt, Richard pulled himself together.

“You have a keen eye. That will serve you well in our line of work,” Richard said. “Our job is to ensure that every group who walks into our resort experiences the same level of professionalism and care. I don’t want tables placed incorrectly, a meal to be a minute late, or a single guest finding themselves wandering around without the proper signage to guide them to their conference. And everything should be done with elegance and style.”

Douglas rushed in, and he laid out the thick book their favored rental company had provided. It contained a wide variety of fabric swatches so they could select tablecloths. It wasn’t used for every conference. They had in-house plain linens in a few basic colors for most things, but special events like the Wolfebrier-Marwood wedding required something iconic. Richard took the thin stack of fabrics Douglas handed to him and laid them out on his desk next to the binder.

There were two keepers, but the other ones Richard immediately dismissed in his head. They were too fussy for Gabriel and Eric. Since Richard refused to tell Douglas he didn’t like them, he’d wait for his mother to set them aside. Rosalind’s sense of style was strikingly similar to Richard’s, and they rarely disagreed on an article of clothing or piece of décor.

Across the room, Douglas and Lucas were speaking, but Richard tuned them out. If Lucas had questions about his new job, Douglas could answer them. Richard’s entire focus was on creating a vision for Eric and Gabriel’s wedding. The book was organized by color, which made things easy.

Richard flipped through the first few pages, then tugged out a swatch. It was a tonal white stripe with a hint of silver sparkle. It’d be beautiful with the right overlay and napkins. By the time Richard had exhausted his options in the book, he’d added another pair of muted patterns to the pile to show his mother. Once they had their cloth choices, they could decide on the tableware and flowers.

Finished, Richard closed the book. He could grab it again if his mother wanted more options, but they’d likely have to go with a different vendor if she did because he couldn’t imagine her leaning toward any of the remaining selections.

“Oh, you found a few others,” Douglas remarked as he wandered closer to the desk to check them out.

Lucas rose and joined them. Richard tried unsuccessfully not to notice how enticing his musky scent was or the six inches that separated them in height.

Should’ve worn a damn heeled boot, Richard thought.

The gray-eyed inspirit put a finger on the white-on-white stripe Richard had been drawn to first.

“That one is sharp,” Lucas commented.

The door to the outer main office opened, and Richard caught a glimpse of his mother’s dark hair.

“I guess we’re about to find out if Rosalind agrees with you,” Richard said. It was odd to call his mother by her name, but his parents wanted him to get used to it before the humans questioned why Richard and his brother looked so close in age to their own parents. Necromancers didn’t age visibly, but no one could explain that.

Richard didn’t bother to look for David. She wouldn’t have brought him there without meeting the new inspirit first. And although she appeared alone, Gabriel had cameras everywhere and his security team would ensure no one harmed any Marwood.

His mother sailed toward them in a soft blue shirt that accentuated the eye color he’d inherited from her. She’d paired it with a navy skirt and skinny heels; she’d also passed along her lack of height to her eldest son.

After greeting Richard’s assistant—another Marwood inspirit resurrected by Eric—with a hug, she headed for the office. She spotted Lucas, and Richard nearly shook his head at the way her brow raised. The woman never failed to notice a handsome face, and she’d be pushing Lucas into the path of anyone needing a soulmate within minutes.

“You must be Lucas,” his mother said, holding out her hand to the inspirit.

“I am,” Lucas replied, flashing his killer smile at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Marwood.”

“It’s Rosalind. We’re so pleased that you’ve joined the Marwood family.”

“Thanks, I’m grateful for the opportunity and the gifts I’ve been given since I arrived yesterday. The kindness of your family is overwhelming, and I spent a few hours alone last night pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

“Alone? What a pity for such a handsome man.”

Richard sighed gustily and charged forward. “Ignore her, she has a horrible record of matchmaking, and you don’t want to get caught in her web.”

His mother narrowed her eyes at Richard, and he ignored the pang of fear in his heart. Rosalind Marwood was not a woman to be trifled with, and Richard was treading on dangerous ground with his casual dismissal of her.

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